About Frestas: Art Triennial

Exit ball, 2009, of Romuald Hazoumé (photo: Adauto Perin - CPA/SESC)

Frestas: Trienal de Artes (Frestas: Art Triennial) seeks to bring local, regional and international artists closer, promoting exchanges among them, fostering research and studies on contemporary art, as well as providing access to different forms of cultural expression in the São Paulo state countryside.

The project is carried out by SESC, Social Service of Commerce, a private, non-profit organization with nationwide presence. SESC’s network in the state of São Paulo includes 36 centers that put on permanent exhibitions, as well as many other artistic initiatives, such as concerts, theatre plays, dance performances, film shows and literary meetings, to name a few. Its visual arts program focuses mainly on contemporary art, organizing collective and individual exhibitions by local and international artists from different generations. The program also features courses, workshops, seminars and other educational initiatives.

Frestas’ first edition, titled “What would be of the world without the things that don’t exist”, took place at SESC Sorocaba, from 8 October 2014 to 3 May 2015, and was curated by Josué Mattos. It featured the work of 115 Brazilian and international artists and was attended by 11 thousand local students and thousands of visitors. The exhibition area covered three thousand square meters of SESC facilities as well as other spaces made available by the Sorocaba City Hall, such as the Barracão Cultural (Cultural Warehouse), the Sorocabana Railroad Museum and the Scarpa palace.

The second edition of Frestas – Trienal de Artes (Gaps – Art Triennial) will be held from August to December 2017 and will include an exhibition at SESC Sorocaba, installations at the city’s historical sites, performances, seminars, publications and a number of educational initiatives. The project will be curated by Daniela Labra, historian and art critic, who will be assisted by curator Yudi Rafael. Fabio Tremonte will be the curator for the educational program.

The first edition of Frestas – Trienal de Artes (Frestas – Art Triennial) was born out of a plural array of core exhibits, urban interventions, and diverse initiatives. It was inspired by some of the striking experiences in the Terra Rasgada (Torn Land) project, which was held in the ‘90s through a partnership with local artists. Both projects carry the meaning of the word Sorocaba in their name, which translated from Tupi-Guarani means “the site of the tearing”.